In 2013 – 2015, The Culture study Speiga implemented the project “Biedrības “Kulturys studeja Speiga”” darbības programma Latgales lauku labklājības veicināšanai” (The program of action of The Culture study Speiga to increase the rural welfare in Latgale) supported by Social Integration Fund and Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Latvia. Project was trying to improve the critical welfare situation in Latgale – the poorest region of EU – by promoting those micro- tehnologies and praxis that could regenerate social and economical life in the region.

The long-term objective of the program of action is to promote awarenessofsustainable,productive,environment healingmanagementstrategiessuitable forlow income smallfarms/family farms. Therefore making it possible to improve both the situation of each family farm and encourage sustainability through preserving the rural population and foster the rural population welfare rises? in the Latgale region. The objective is fully achieved – new strategies and technologies of self-sufficiency have been brought to local communities in Latgale with more than 350 unique persons participating in the project. A blog with at least 50 daily visits is popularizing rural and sustainable lifestyle of Latgalian communities all over Latvia. New traditions and lifestyle changes are initiated in Latgalian communities and Latvia.

Around 150 persons were volunteering in the project to improve the quality of the life in the local community – by planting Community Gardens, organizing activities for promoting self-sufficiency, sharing their knowledge with others.

The results of the project were achieved almost for 100%. When implementing the program of action, at least 350 people were involved in educational and self-sufficiency promoting activities. 5 people became members of the organization, 2 members were volunteering in Swedish permaculture community, and 47 volunteers were working to implement the project for the organization. 5 local communities were activated by creating Community Gardens –104 people were involved in planting the mentioned gardens. 10 NGOs are starting to cooperate at different levels – local, regional and national – to promote the idea of self-sufficiency and prosper life in the country, 1 strategy for an organization has been developed. Collaboration with 3 local municipalities was established.

The blog latgola.permakultura.lv was created. It contains extensive information on permaculture and sustainable strategies. The strategy and action plan for 2015-2020 of the organization has been made and partly published in the homepage.

The target group of the project was involved in seminars and master classes, volunteering work, Permaculture Festivals. They were addressed via social networks, the blog of the organization, and other media. The most important benefits for the target group in the project were the new skills and approaches they could acquire during the time the project was realized.

Family permaculture farm “GANENI” is located in the countryside. The farm has a cow, a horse, 10 sheep, a goat, chicken. The owners Ilze and Oskars are creating their own dream landscape and experimenting with various methods of permaculture. Farm provides a practice up to 2 weeks for the volunteers from all around the world.

A mission of non-governmental organization The Culture study Speiga is to create a community of confederates in local society to make our own life and life of whole local society more sufficient itself and sustainable.

The organization unites different people – farmers, ruralised townspeople, re-emigrants and others like-minded, who see their future in the Latgale’s countryside, trying to find and reach more and more active people to find common points and enlarge territory and to develop competencies and inclusion ability.

The first Permaculture festival in Latvia “SOL-MI” was held in Ambeli local municipality, Daugavpils county in August 2-4, 2014. The workshops in festival “SOL-MI” were included eco-building, eco-gardening, eco-kitchen, life music. The participants of the festival were about 60 people from Latvia and guests from Armenia, Italy.

Ambeli eco-community is listed among the more inspiring enterprises from around Europe. The full list of the enterprises is available here: http://www.reconomy.org/inspiring-enterprises/more-inspiring-enterprises-from-around-europe/